Gnomes

Tobi Fletcher’s career is going places. Just ask her. Any day now, she’s going to write the story for her Sante Fe newspaper that will Make A Difference. Of course, Pulitzer prizes and the like will soon follow.

Unfortunately, her editor doesn’t have the same vision. His vision has her investigating a series of gnomicides. Yes, gnomicides the wanton murder of garden gnomes.

It’s a nightmare for Tobi. She’s spent her life working towards a career she can be proud of and proving she’s nothing like her mother. She’s intelligent, independent and so uptight she can’t even let go to sneeze properly and, unlike her colleagues, she certainly can’t appreciate the funny side of the situation. She wants to work on the big story a cover-up in a senator’s office.

Reluctantly, she interviews Simon, the man who reported the ‘incident’ to the newspaper clearly a lunatic his four-year old daughter, and the other residents of the street. Each has their own theory about the murderer, ranging from the slightly possible to the ludicrous and Tobi, unfortunately affected by her pollen allergy and having to repress sneezes regularly, writes the story.

Her editor loves it and demands more; interstate papers pick it up and reader feedback is overwhelming. Apparently, she’s not going anywhere just yet and, dammit, that means facing her pesky attraction to Simon. Along the way, Tobi discovers there are many truths and secrets to be uncovered other people’s as well as her own. The question is, will the truth really set her free?

By far one of my favourite reads of 2014. The gnome puns kept me smiling throughout the book, and the relationships of the street meshing together made for a gnomely (read: homely rhymes with gnomely!!) feel. I enjoyed the relationship / romance build up of the main characters, and it was nice to read a female character who was in control, but not obnoxiously so. Watching her unravel and release that control without realising it was a delight, and I loved the way it all wrapped up in the end. This book proves you don’t need R rated scenes to create a love/suspenseful/mystery story. The author did a great job giving each of the multitude of characters their own story and background without going overboard. It’s a story that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. A great, fun, clean read for the summer.

Rachel Bailey developed a serious book addiction at a young age (via Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck) and has never recovered. Just how she likes it. She went on to gain degrees in psychology and social work but is now living her dream writing romance for a living. Her books have hit the USA Today bestseller list, are published in over twenty-six countries and have been translated into sixteen languages. She lives on a piece of paradise on Australia’s east …